Comedy in NYC This Week

LOUIS C.K. at Madison Square Garden (Dec. 16, 8 p.m.). Louis C.K. has been at the top of the comedy scene for nearly a decade, bridging the gap between observational club stand-up and experimental alternative comedy by approaching routine topics from a novel angle, attacking hypocrisies and trying to defend the indefensible. His new hour of material, which he has honed in regular performances at smaller clubs and theaters, is some of his strongest in years, touching on favorite subjects like aging and relationships as well as political issues like abortion. He headlines the Garden as part of an international tour.212-465-6741, thegarden.com

EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH at Joe’s Pub (Dec. 22, 7 p.m.). Catie Lazarus hosts a “holiday-office-party extravaganza” for her final show of the year. Her guests will be the comedian and podcaster Phoebe Robinson, the college-football-player-turned-opera-star Morris Robinson and the poet Sarah Kay. Ms. Lazarus also promises “a super-special surprise,” as well as illustrations made in real time and music from her house band. This is a monthly talk show in which Ms. Lazarus interviews people from all walks of life about their jobs before awarding all of her guests a coveted Employee of the Month plaque.212-539-8778, joespub.com

KAPOW-I GOGO HOLIDAY SPECIAL at the Peoples Improv Theater (Dec. 19, 8 p.m.). Madeleine Bundy returns as the cyan-haired heroine Kapow-i GoGo, a fighter destined to save the world again. (“And again. And again.”) Now she returns to save the holidays. Originally a play at the Flea Theater, this production has blossomed into a three-part, nine-episode epic at the PIT that follows Kapow-i GoGo on a decade-long adventure from plucky teenage upstart to mature fighter who must take down the evil Ultra Corporation. The show, written by Matt Cox, blends elements of video games and anime into a colorful, manic, homemade spectacle geared toward geeks and ’90s nostalgists.212-563-7488, thepit-nyc.com

THE LONGEST HAROLD NIGHT OF THE YEAR at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater (Dec. 20, 7:30 p.m.). The day before the longest night of the year, UCB’s house improv teams perform one very long show. These teams perform 30-minute improvisations in a style known as a Harold, a format developed by the Chicago improv guru Del Close. Now taught as the core structure for improv students, a Harold features a series of scenes which return, in an A-B-C pattern, to the same situations and characters until, often, the narratives intertwine. All eight of the theater’s current Harold teams — Some Kid, Mermaids, Foxhole, Sleuth, Women & Men, Dr. Snake, Brightlight and Higgins — will be featured.212-366-9176, chelsea.ucbtheatre.com

‘THE MACAULAY CULKIN SHOW’ at Shea Stadium (Dec. 18, 8 p.m.). Sally Burtnick and Brett Davis, of the Manhattan Neighborhood Network’s variety show “The Special Without Brett Davis,” host the third anniversary of this misleadingly named comedy production, which is not affiliated with the titular actor (despite the hosts’ best efforts to persuade him to attend). This unpredictable anniversary installment promises “belly laughs, good times and sudden terror”; performers include J. D. Amato, Jo Firestone, Josh Gondelman, Mary Houlihan, John Reynolds and Shalewa Sharpe.liveatsheastadium.com

NIGHT TRAIN WITH WYATT CENAC HOLIDAY SPECTACULAR at Littlefield (Dec. 19, 8 p.m.). Wyatt Cenac hosts a special seasonal edition of his weekly comedy show, which regularly features both visiting and local comics alongside music and assorted shenanigans. (Last year, the show also produced six television episodes for the streaming service Seeso.) For this holiday event, Mr. Cenac will be joined by the comedians Nimesh Patel, J. D. Amato and Joyelle Johnson, the comedic juggler Marcus Monroe and the puppeteer James Godwin.littlefieldnyc.com